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atropine
(at´ro-pēn)
an anticholinergic alkaloid found in belladonna; it acts as a competitive antagonist of acetylcholine at muscarinic receptors, blocking stimulation of muscles and glands by parasympathetic and cholinergic sympathetic nerves; used as the sulfate salt
as a smooth muscle relaxant, as an antiarrhythmic, as a preanesthetic to reduce secretions, as an antidote to poisoning by organophosphorus compounds, cholinesterase inhibitors, or muscarine, and as a mydriatic and cycloplegic.
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